Messages of three different Christmas songs
The association between music and one’s mood, attitude, and priorities
Christmas music in our house begins as soon as my wife allows, though I sometimes push the envelope. In any case, the association between music—at the moment it’s Christmas music—and one’s mood, attitude or priorities came to mind. Considering the continual play of Christmas music in our home, the message of three different songs crossed in my thoughts.
Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Acts 22:3-16
Mark 16:15-18
Given the time of year and the readings for today, two things came to mind. The first is the older of the two and initially came to my attention during my late high school or early college years. I doubt if it is an uncommon experience, but it didn’t immediately garner my attention when I was younger.
I like music—many different kinds of music. The songs from movies and Broadway musicals are among my favorite, largely because the songs are usually part of a story. In those days I often found myself singing or humming a number from one of these two media. At some time and for some unknown reason I found myself wondering why a particular song had come to mind. With just a little thoughtful deliberation I realized that the song corresponded to my mood at the time. Wondering if that was a pattern, I became introspective more often only to find that the correspondence between song and mood was somewhat frequent. Moreover, songs reflect, not just our mood, but our attitude, our priorities, our sensitivities, even our choices. That’s at least one reason why a song may become popular.
Now I’m one of those who thinks the Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year. Even when I was a child I got the job of doing most of the Christmas decorations at home; and the pattern is the same today. Christmas music in our house begins as soon as my wife allows, though I sometimes push the envelope. In any case, the association between music — at the moment it’s Christmas music — and one’s mood, attitude or priorities came to mind. Considering the continual play of Christmas music in our home, the message of three different songs crossed in my thoughts. The most recent was from 1962; and the message that set me wondering was as follows:
Do you know what I know? (Do you know what I know?)
A child, a child, shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Why would you bring gifts of silver and gold? Strange presents for a shivering child. Actually, it was this particular line that provoked both the question and the research. Do our Christmas songs reflect, not just the mood, but the attitude, the priorities, the sensitivities, and even the choices of America’s Christian community? What do the song’s gifts suggest?
As mentioned earlier, the song Do You Hear What I Hear? came from the music world in 1962. Twenty years earlier, in 1941, the message was somewhat different.
I have no gift to bring
Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
That's fit to give our King
Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Shall I play for you?
The gift at that time was more intimate. It was a gift that came from poverty; and in 1941 the country was finally climbing out of the depression and entering into a period where many things would be rationed. So at least there was heart in the offering of The Little Drummer Boy. But step back once again. This time almost forty years to 1906. It was then that In The Bleak Midwinter was first introduced. In spite of the distrust among Christian congregations, more authentic expectations for those claiming to be Christ followers still appeared foremost in thought and song.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.
The life of St Paul following his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus takes us beyond silver and gold, beyond the gift of abilities and talents. I don’t think it takes us much beyond the gift of one’s heart. Not all are called to bear witness to the whole world as Paul did. But with the true gift of the heart all will give witness to their own small world the truth that this birth brings.
Maybe each of us needs to seriously ask the same question as Paul: ‘Who are you, sir?’ And then listen closely for the answer.
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